Marketers need to stop underestimating the value of TikTok videos

TIKTOK can help marketers create viral content without too much effort.

With millions of teenagers and young adults spending hours creating and viewing content on TikTok — owned by Chinese media giant ByteDance — marketers need to stop underestimating the value of video content on the platform.

According to CNBC, the parent company is now worth US$75 billion and TikTok’s influence continues to grow phenomenally in Asia and around the world.

Influencer and social media expert Gary Vaynerchuk recently penned a blog post on why TikTok is so important in which he pointed out that “TikTok provides a framework that makes it easier for people to create — especially if they don’t know what else to do. And these creators are starting younger than ever before.”

Vaynerchuk, who is a huge star on platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube, definitely walks the talk. The 43-year old influencer, often known for his mantra “You’ve got time (it’s never too late to follow your dreams)” recently made his debut on TikTok and has amassed 3.4k fans already.

Vaynerchuk has been championing the use of the app so much so that fans suspect that the influencer has a commercial interest in TikTok.

$0.00 – I am passionate in sharing my observations, many want to know what I see and I am happy to share. The emails I’ve been getting this week from people having success on the platform already is a fantastic ROI https://t.co/LPu1zbO4Zg

Like Vaynerchuk, other social media experts with a finger on the pulse of the market have also been suggesting that marketers need to get serious about TikTok.

Tech Wire Asia‘s Aaron Brooks recently penned a piece on the six things marketers need to know about TikTok — but the reality is that marketers need to pay attention if they want to really understand what TikTok has to offer.

The app isn’t like other social media platforms and content isn’t meant to reach friends by default.

When users open the app on their phones, they usually see what’s popular — which is what makes it so easy for content to get views and likes. You don’t need to follow someone to see their content for the first time. If a creator makes a video that “generally” appeals to you, TikTok’s algorithms will ensure that you discover it.

Of course, the app does allow for people to follow content creators they like, which is why influencers still have an incentive to put content on the platform — but there’s pressure to create good content because if the user moves on, he or she can easily find other influencers who put out similar content, perhaps more often or more creatively.

While TikTok creates makes it possible for marketers to create advertisements (video primarily), but the reality is that campaigns don’t always need ad-budgets to go viral, at least at this stage.

If something is good enough, especially if created by influencers, there’s a strong chance that a lot of people will see it, replicate it, and make the marketing “magic” happen — spreading the message far and wide — just as Chipotle did with its campaign a few months ago.

Unplanned, authentic content is what TikTok’s audience loves, and that’s something marketers need to understand if they want to really leverage TikTok for gains at work.